Iced Heart
by cutie3239
Summary: Natalie Blackmont grew up mostly alone in Winterfell. Her mother was dead, she had no siblings, and her father was always gone. Now, 20 years of age, she finds that she has feelings for her childhood friends.
1. Chapter 1

**Just wanted to see if I could write something other than Supernatural fanfiction. I'm not sure how far this will go, but who knows. It may actually go somewhere.**

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><p>With her soft, mousy-brown hair falling in loose curls down her back, Natalie Blackmont walked the streets of Winterfell like every other day. With the fact that her father wasn't in Winterfell, she found herself having little to do. Her father, Jonathan, was often away, leaving his only daughter to do whatever she pleased. But all she ever wanted was company. And she found company in the sons of Lord Eddard Stark.<p>

It didn't take the young woman long to hear the familiar laughter of Robb and Jon, and when her hazel eyes finally found them; she couldn't help herself but laugh also. They were teaching their younger brother, Bran, archery, and every few time he released his bow, he would miss. "Don't lose hope yet, Bran," Natalie smiled softly at the young boy as she came to a stop next to Robb. "I remember when your brothers were learning, and they both missed terribly until they were at least twelve."

Robb shock his head with laughter and stared back at Natalie. "I haven't seen you for almost a fortnight," he observed as the two friends watched Bran try again. "What has kept you?"

"Was Robb Stark starting to miss me?" Natalie asked with a sly smile as another of Bran's arrows flew over the wall, sending both Robb and Jon into laughter.

"And which one of you was a marksmen at ten?" asked Lord Stark from where he stood at a balcony, observing everything below. "Natalie. I thought you had stopped gracing the house of Stark with your presence."

"Never, my lord," she smiled back. "You can't get rid of me that easily."

Growing up, Natalie spent many of her time running through the castle after Robb and Jon. There were times she spent so much of her time there, it was as though she became a fixture of the family. Her father was a military man, and he spent many of his time riding to many different far places, and Ned Stark was kind enough to treat Natalie as a daughter during the time periods when her father wasn't around.

"Don't think too much, Bran," Jon whispered to his brother as Bran set up another arrow.

"Relax your bow-arm," Robb instructed as he focused on his brother. Then, he leaned toward Natalie, "So where have you really been?"

Before she could answer, the buzzing sound of an arrow cut her off, and they observed the arrow hit the center of the target. Puzzled by the fact that Bran hadn't released his arrow, they all turned to see the youngest Stark daughter, Arya, holding a bow in her hands with a smile on her face.

As the Jon, Robb, and Natalie laughed at what had occurred, Bran gave chase after Arya, as the brothers prompted him forward. "Come on," Jon said, still laughing as he helped the youngest Stark son, Rickon, off of a saddle. "Let's gather these arrows."

"You never answer me," Robb sighed as he bent down and started to gather arrows, handing Natalie the ones he picked up.

Pushing a piece of stray hair from her face, Natalie replied, "My father was home for a few days. We were spending some time together before he left for King's Landing." Her voice dropped as Robb stood back up and looked down at Natalie, who was a mere three inches shorter than he. "He's going to be gone for almost a year this time."

Robb took the arrows back from Natalie and walked over to the container for the arrows. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said, casting a sad glance in Natalie's direction.

Natalie only had time to return a smile to Robb when Theon Grayjoy came walking toward them. "Hope I'm not interrupting something," he smirked as he grabbed everyone's attention.

"You always are, Grayjoy," Jon sighed as he came to stand next to Rob. "What do you need?"

"A deserter from the Night's Watch was captured by the guardsmen," Theon explained. "Your father wants you to saddle your horses."

As Robb and Jon started to walk away, Natalie followed after them. "Don't think for a moment that you're leaving me behind," she stated as she followed after the boys as they headed toward the stables.

Jon turned and started to walk backward. "You can't come along, Natalie," he sighed as he stared at her. "It's not a suitable place for a young lady such as yourself."

"And I'll keep my distance," she added, finally catching up to her two friends. "I'll just come along for the company."

"You're also not a very good rider, Natalie," Rob sighed, a look of concern etched on his face, as they came to a stop by the stable. "You won't be able to make it all the way."

"If she would like to come," Ned Stark interrupted as he came to the stable, "then Natalie may ride with one of you."

With a smug smile, Natalie looked at Robb, who sighed heavily. "Alright, you can come along with me," he replied, a weak smile of his own on his face.

As the men saddled their horses, Natalie gave Bran a hand saddling his pony. She watched at the young boy's fingers stumbled of the horse's martingale, and how he seemed to be unsure of what he was doing. "I've watched you saddle your pony numerous times, Bran," Natalie commented as she finished the throatlatch on the horse's bridle. "Are you nervous?"

Bran looked over to where his brothers and his father where before he nodded his head yes. With a soft smile, Natalie touched his shoulder and whispered, "Don't be. You're ready for this?"

"How do you know?" Bran whispered back, keeping his eyes on the white hair of his pony.

Wrinkling her nose, Natalie took the pony's reins and led him out of the stable. "Because I know everything."

"If she did know everything," Theon smirked as he rode his horse past, "then she wouldn't be doing things she wasn't supposed to."

"Leave it," Robb sighed as he brought his own horse up. "There's no talking her out of anything." Then, Robb turned his attention upon Natalie as he slipped his hand into his riding gloves. "Are you ready?"

Natalie bobbed her head and smiled as she walked up to Robb. As he grasped her waist to lift her up onto the horse, she laughed, "Don't drop me."

"Have I dropped you once?" he laughed back, and before she realized it, he was lifting her up and behind the horse's saddle. "See? Perfectly safe."

"So _you_ say," Natalie accused, a smile still on her face as Robb climbed up onto the saddle in front of her. Then she wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her head against his back. "Remember the last time you took me for a ride? You nearly killed me."

"_You_ weren't holding on," Robb laughed at the memory of Natalie sliding off the back of the horse.

With little warning, Robb kicked the horse into a trot, causing Natalie to grasp tighter. She loved to ride horses, but every time she had ever gotten on a horse, she had fallen off. That was the reason why Natalie only rode when someone else was in control.

"Are you alright?" Robb asked as the party exited through the gates.

Leaning her face between Robb's shoulders and into his fur cloak, Natalie groaned, "Warn me next time you do that so there's less of a chance of me pulling you off of this horse."

For the rest of the ride, Natalie remained mostly quiet and just enjoyed the movement of the horse and the company of her friends. Jon had ridden his horse next to Robb's, and they casually talked as they made their way to the execution site.

Upon the arrival, Jon had gotten off his horse swiftly, and gently helped Natalie to the ground. "Thank you," she smiled as she smoothed the fabrics of her dark green dress. "I appreciated not falling to the ground."

"I would never let you fall," Jon replied with a soft smile before he walked up the hill.

Robb let out a soft sigh as he took his gloves off his hands and handed the reins of his horse over to a guard. "Are you sure you will be alright down here alone?" he asked as he looked up the hill.

"Don't worry about me," Natalie sighed as she pushed Robb slightly up the hill. "I can take care of myself."


	2. Chapter 2

Pulling her cloak tighter around her, Natalie looked at the many green hills that surrounded her, and then back to the only guard that had remand with her. "It's beautiful out here, isn't it?" she asked, feeling a bit awkward about the silence.

The guard looked at her from where he stood, then turned his gaze away and continued to survey the area. "What? Do you not think you can have a conversation with me?" Natalie asked again with a soft chuckle, but she again gained no reply. "Fine. I can remain content with the quiet."

Natalie returned her gaze to watching the fog creep over the taller hills. It _was_ beautiful to see the mist on the mountains, and it was a rare sight for Natalie to enjoy. Little had she ever been out of Winterfell, and it amazed her of the beauty that lied beyond the wall.

Soft footsteps from behind Natalie caused her to turn and see Jon slowly walking back down the hill. "It's over already?" she asked as Jon stopped beside her. "I thought it would have taken longer."

Jon took a deep sigh and looked off into the distance. "He abandoned his post at the wall and he broke his oath," he explained, his eyes avoiding Natalie's. "He knew what the punishment was if he were to break it."

Natalie nodded her head in understanding, and watched as Robb escorted Bran down the hill. "What about Bran?" she asked Jon as her eyes followed the two brothers. "Will he be alright?"

"He'll understand," Jon replied as he began to leave her to go to his horse. "He's a smart boy."

"Natalie," Robb called to her from where he stood by his horse, gesturing for her to go there.

With a final glance to Jon, she smiled and said, "You're good with your brother. Bran's lucky to have you."

She watched the registration in Jon's eyes a moment longer before Natalie walked off toward Rob. He greeted her with a smile and pushed a stray piece of hair out of her face. "I'm surprised you didn't get into trouble," he remarked as he helped Natalie onto his horse. "Knowing you, you always seem to get into trouble when there isn't any."

Natalie couldn't help herself but to laugh at Robb's remark. "You are far too kind, you know that?" she laughed back as Robb settled himself in front of her on the horse. "You know exactly how to flatter a woman."

"If you were a woman," she heard Greyjoy laugh as he rode past, "then you wouldn't be here, am I correct?"

"Then why are you here?" Natalie asked, following Theon with her eyes. "Aren't you a lady yourself?" Robb and a few of the other men whom were nearby laughed with the sudden change of color in Theon's face. Once the said man was out of earshot, Natalie sighed, "I'm sorry. I know he's your friend, but I cannot begin to think of tolerating him."

"There's no need to apologize," Robb replied as he asked his horse forward. "Sometimes, I can hardly stand him myself."

Robb and Natalie rode in the lead of the convoy back to Winterfell, along with Greyjoy and two other guardsmen. For the most part, Natalie remained quiet as the men talked amongst them. She was content with just sitting and listening for the most part. She didn't need to comment on anything, and she could enjoy herself.

But when Robb suddenly reined his horse to stop, he slipped off the horse and handed the reins to one of the guards. "Come down," he instructed Natalie as he reached for her, "but stay by the horse."

"Why?" she asked cautiously as her feet touched the ground. That's when she saw the deer's body lying in the middle of the path, ripped apart. Speechless, Natalie somehow found the strength and ability to push past Robb, and she stood off to the side of where Jon and Greyjoy were.

Just as Ned walked up toward the mauled deer, though, Natalie lost her footing and fell backwards. And down a steep ravine. "Natalie!" she heard voices shout as she landed at the bottom.

Aside from her body being sore and looking rather unkempt, Natalie was completely fine and she pushed herself up into a sitting position. Mere feet in front of her lay the body of a huge wolf, and she had trouble being able to do little more than breathe until arms wrapped around her. "Are you alright?" Jon asked, being the first to reach the bottom of the ravine.

"What… is… that?" Natalie asked, panting as she tried to stand. But a small set of paws climbed up onto her lap.

As she held the pup and stood, she heard Ned say, "It's a direwolf."

"There are no direwolves south of the wall," Robb remarked as he came up behind Natalie, looking down at the wiggling animal in her arms.

"And now there are five," Jon added as he picked up a puppy and handed it to Bran. "You want to hold it?"

Bran clutched to the pup in his arms and looked up at his father. "Where will they go? Their mother's gone?"

"They don't belong down here," Ser Rodrik Cassel answered Bran.

Sighing heavily, Lord Stark rose to his feet saying, "Better a quick death. They won't last without their mother."

All too willing to please, Theon took out his dagger and ripped the pup from Bran's arms. "Right. Give it here."

"No," Bran cried out as the pup was taken from him.

Exasperated, Natalie clutched the pup in her arms tighter. "You'll do that to a child?" she asked, shaking her head in disbelief after watching Theon take the puppy away from Bran."

"Put away your blade," Robb demanded with almost a sick tone to his voice.

"I take orders from your father," Greyjoy replied as he adjusted his hold on the small wolf's scruff. "Not you."

Chasing after his father, Bran begged, "Please, Father," but Lord Stark just continued forward. Handing the pup to Robb, Natalie walked forward and touched Bran's shoulder, comforting the small boy.

"Lord Stark," she heard Jon say, and all eyes turned to him as he looked down at the pups. "There are five pups. One for each of the Stark children. The direwolf is a sigil of your house. They were meant to have them."

Natalie watched Ned's face as the thought wrapped around his brain. Then he sighed and looked down at Bran. "You will train them yourselves, you will feed them yourselves, and if they die, you will bury them yourselves," he stated before he made his way back up the ravine.

With a smile, Natalie took back the pup from Theon and handed it to Bran. "You get your wish," she smiled as she took another pup from Jon. "Take care of him."

The group headed back up the side of the ravine, only to stop halfway up when Robb turned around. Looking behind her, she saw that Jon was holding a small, all-white pup.

"Ah, the runt of the litter," Greyjoy laughed as he struggled to hold two of the pups. "That one's yours, Snow."

"Do you have to be so disrespectful all the time?" Natalie asked as she continued to walk up to the rode. "Or is it only for special occasions?"

"Only when the time calls for it, my lady," Theon smirked back as he walked to his horse, saying not another word.

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><p><strong>So I'm currently looking for pictures of what I think best describes Natalie and etc. for my profile, but getting everything to look like it belongs is kinda hard to find. Doing my best, though.<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry! I've been foolishly waiting for someone to post a transcript of the episodes, which helps me a lot when I write to make sure I stay close to the plotline. Well, no one's posted them yet, and I haven't realized how much time has gone by. So I'm going to be writing my own transcripts as I go, while writing the chapters. **

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><p>Natalie stood in the kitchen and watched the Stark children talked about the pups and fed them pieces of meat. It was just her and Rob watching over the children, Jon having escaped already to some other part of the castle.<p>

She watched as each of them named their pups, and at how long it took the small Rickon to get the confidence to even play with his pup. "He still young," Rob had said to her as he held his pup – which he named Grey Wind – in his arms. "He'll get used to him."

"I know," Natalie laughed as she sidestepped the running pups and headed out of the kitchen, Rob placing down his pup and following her.

Once the two were out in the hall, away from the sounds of his brothers and sisters gleeful activities, Natalie shouldered off her cloak and folded it into her arms. The two then walked in silence down the hall, further and further from the sounds of laughter and through the heart of the castle.

As they passed a window, Natalie saw the sun already ducking down and touching the outer wall. "I had best be getting back," she said with a soft smile while keeping her eyes casted out the window. "The septa my father hired to keep watch over me gets very… upset if I'm not back before dark."

Rob shook his head and laughed slightly at Natalie's words. "And why is it that your father thinks someone should watch over you? Have you given him reason not to trust you again?" he asked playfully as the two continued walking down the hall.

"Me? No," Natalie laughed in reply as she played with one of the edges of the cloak. "He doesn't trust the ideas of what might happen if someone doesn't keep a constant eye on me during the night."

There was a light laughter between the two, and then they continued walking in silence. Natalie had often wished that her father would stay in Winterfell for long enough to see that she wasn't a child who needed watching. But she accepted that he was only trying to protect her, and was grateful for the fact that he didn't have the septa follow her everywhere she went.

"What if your father had another option?" Rob asked as the two descended a short staircase that would take them back out into the streets of Winterfell. "So he didn't have to worry while he was away."

"And what are you implying?" Natalie asked with a playful smile. "Do you want to lock me up in a tower and throw away the key, like in the stories Old Nan tells Rickon?"

But Rob had lost his playful demeanor, and had a very serious – but gentle – look upon his face. With a sigh, he took the cloak from Natalie and wrapped it around her shoulders, taking care to gently remove her hair from under the cloak. He pushed the brown curls behind her ear, a gloved hand brushing her cheek.

"Rob," Natalie laughed nervously, her eyes fluttering everywhere except for his face.

He then took her hands in his, and Natalie couldn't remove her eyes from the sight. "I have known you for most of my life," Rob said, and she could tell that he was staring at her as he spoke. "And I wish to see your face every day."

Natalie's hands began to shake, and Rob gave a gentle and reassuring squeeze before putting a finger under her chin and raising her face so that her eyes met his. "Natalie, I have never met another woman who has been able to make me do something that I would never want to do, nor someone who makes me wonder what she's doing when I'm not with her. So will you do me the honor and marry me? Promise me before the gods – old and new – that you will stay with me?"

Every heart beat could be heard in Natalie's ears as she took quick, deep breaths. _Marry_ Rob? He was her best friend, one of the few people who knew her better than anyone else. Could she love him the way that he loved her?

But when Natalie thought about where her heart belonged, she could never imagine a place that didn't have Rob with her. And when she wasn't with him, she wished she was. She had to admit it, she did love him.

So she nodded softly at first, her eyes still avoiding his. "Natalie?" Rob asked, a spark of hope in his voice.

Her hazel eyes met his steal blue ones, and a smile spread across her lips. "Yes," she finally answered, her voice light and all the nerves that were there before, gone. "I will. I promise."

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><p><strong>I know it's a short chapter, but I hope it's up to satisfaction. ^_^ I promise, I'll post sooner than I did before.<strong>


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